After finishing their lowest 8th in the Premier League in the 2023-24 season, another dire season is unthinkable for Manchester United. The club lost 14 games and conceded 58 goals in the previous league season, and they need to sign better players if they want things to change.
But before signing new players, United must clear the deadwood to raise funds. Under the INEOS group and Jim Ratcliffe’s stewardship, the club has acted quickly to sign Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee with Manuel Ugarte on the verge of joining the Reds.
The Manchester-based club was also quick to sell players like Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Donny van de Beek, and Raphael Varane, and they will certainly be followed by a few more to play as per Erik Ten Hag’s vision.
Here are the top five players Manchester United should sell before the season begins:
#5 Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Before signing for the Red Devils, Aaron Wan-Bissaka was Crystal Palace’s Player of the Year and one of the best young defenders in the league with inch-perfect tackles as his speciality.
But his progress was shunted after an early promise of a couple of seasons. Wan-Bissaka is still defensively good but falls behind other modern full-backs who bomb forward with the ease of attackers and lost his place to Diogo Dalot.
The Englishman still has a year left on his contract, and it would be wise for the club to capitalise on it to bring in a more attacking-minded player. Still 26 years old, the right-back will have many takers and a regular run in the team would do a world of good for his career.
Wan-Bissaka’s profile is perfect for multiple mid-table English Premier League clubs and a simple highlight viewing of the match against Paris St. Germain from a few seasons ago would enable any club to shell out the 10 to 15 million pounds which is the current asking price as per several reports due to only a year remaining on his current deal with Ten Hag’s side.
#4 Victor Lindelof
Victor Lindelof has fallen behind Jonny Evans in the pecking order
Victor Lindelof was one of the most coveted players in Europe when Jose Mourinho snatched him for United from Benfica but the Swedish defender has blown hot and cold in his six seasons at the club.
The 30-year-old central defender has spent most of the period in the last two seasons on the bench as a backup to Lisandro Martinez and Varane but he’s fallen behind Jonny Evans in the pecking order nowadays.
Martinez is now fully fit and high on confidence after winning the 2024 Copa America title and would most likely partner new signing Yoro at the heart of Manchester United’s defense, Lindelof’s chances of being the first-choice defender are slim.
Selling him would be a good decision for both parties as the Swede would be a good addition to most European clubs. Like Wan-Bissaka, only a year is left on Lindelof’s current contract and it would be a wise move from the new management to move on the defender while he is in demand.
#3 Christian Eriksen
Nicknamed ‘The Resurrection’ by the netizens, the Danish international returned from the jaws of death and even participated in the UEFA Euros once again this summer. After a brief loan spell at Brentford, Eriksen was convinced by Ten Hag to sign for the Manchester-based club and was pivotal in United’s success along with Casemiro in the 2022-23 EFL Cup.
But even though the player’s quality is undeniable, his lack of energy has been evident, especially against teams that press high. The loss of speed in Eriksen’s legs forced Ten Hag to deploy him in the side only when United desperately needed a goal or was playing a team from the lower haunches of the Premier League table.
As Kobbie Mainoo grows in confidence and stature after his remarkable first season for the club and country, Ten Hag would prefer placing a player with fresh legs to complement the youngster. Unfortunately, Eriksen’s time as a starter for the elite European clubs is over, and he is expected to leave for a new club with a last fat paycheque awaiting the Danish midfielder.
#2 Antony
Signed from Ten Hag’s old hunting ground, Ajax, for over 90 million Euros, Antony was the biggest signing of the new era ahead of the 2022-23 Premier League season. Like many South Americans in the past, the forward was unable to reproduce his magic at Old Trafford after scoring in his first three games.
But if his slump in the first season could be understandable, the second season was even worse. In the 2023-24 season, Antony was marred with personal issues and managed only 3 goals and 2 assists for United in 38 games, falling behind Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho in the pecking order. With Jadon Sancho and Ten Hag making a truce, it would be even tougher for Antony to get minutes on the field in the upcoming season if he stays in Manchester.
There’s no way the club can recover the money paid for Antony. However, the United board would want to get rid of the player to lessen the loss by offloading the winger for a substantial amount or loan him out for the upcoming season to increase his value in the transfer market.
#1 Casemiro
Casemiro has been a liability for Manchester United in the last few months
Ahead of the 2022-23 Premier League season, a 5-times UEFA Champions League winner left the sunny shores of Madrid for the cold evenings of Manchester and the fans were elated that Casemiro had joined Manchester United to solidify the defense and do the dirty work in midfield.
In his first season, the Brazilian made 51 appearances scoring 7 goals and providing 6 assists as the Red Devils lifted the League Cup title and reached the FA Cup final as well. But, the second-season syndrome struck the defensive midfielder who couldn’t operate in the midfield in the absence of Eriksen’s ball-holding play.
Casemiro received more red cards in England in two years than in a decade in Spain forcing the Red Devils to rope in Sofyan Amrabat on loan as an alternative. With the club agreeing personal terms with Ugarte, the Red Devils are also keen on reducing the wage bill and could do without 350k per week for an underperforming midfielder.
If the reports of interest from Saudi Arabian clubs are to be believed, earning similar money wouldn’t be an issue for Casemiro.